East is East
by Oregonblondie
Summary: GregOC. A new intern joins the staff as a lab tech. What will happen between her and Greg? Please R&R. New and old readers alike welcome. I hope you like it. Fixed formatting and the first two chapters. Chapter 4 is up!
1. Arrival means I need you

VERY IMPORTANT! EVERYONE PLEASE READ THIS A/N!  
  
CSI doesn't belong to me. Please don't sue me!  
  
I've combined the first and second chapters together and made some fixes to things that needed fixing. This is the polished version and everyone should please reread this. ********************************************  
  
A tall blond girl rushed through the CSI halls 10 minutes after the graveyard shift had started, a folder and various papers in her arms.  
  
She rushed into the DNA lab and breathlessly explained to the calm Greg, "I'm sorry I'm late Mr. Sanders. I had to go by my house to pick up some paperwork and I'm still not used to the sleep scheduled and,"  
  
He held up his gloved hand and smiled at his new intern, "Laura, it's ok. I did the same thing when I was interning. Just take these to Grissom and be back in 10 minutes."  
  
She couldn't help but smile broadly at her crush and quickly grabbed the pile of papers to take to her ultimate boss.  
  
Carefully knocking on the door before opening it, she snuck in as quietly as possible, hoping he wouldn't notice her.  
  
Truthfully, Laura thought of her boss as closed in. She would even go as far to say that he was a little of a workaholic, being that he almost never spoke of anything but his job.  
  
She was almost out of the door again when he asked, without ever looking up from his papers, "So how so you like your new job?"  
  
At first Laura didn't know that she was being spoken to but she spoke the words that were still uncertain to her loud and clear, "I really like it here. I hope I can accomplish a lot in my time here."  
  
She stayed standing still where she was, expecting another question. He shook his head,  
  
"I suppose you need to be back doing something right now so you may go."  
  
She rushed out of the door only to bump into Sara, who was on her way to talk to Grissom about a case.  
  
"Hey, I need to talk to you about something. Maybe we can talk at lunch?" Laura asked.  
  
Sara smiled at the shorter girl, "Sure, that would be great. In fact, I need to ask you something so lunch would be perfect. I'll see you then."  
  
********************************** How do you all like it? I really want this to be a long fic and I hope to get a lot of reviews.  
  
************************************************************ I've decided to combine the 1st and 2nd chapters. And I've made some adjustments to the first chapter.  
  
***************  
  
Oh thank you, thank you. I changed it so I can take anonymous reviews, I don't remember setting it that way before but oh well. Now everyone can review!  
  
*****************************************************  
  
Turning the key in the lock, Laura pushed the door open. It had been a long day, one of the longest in the two months she had been working as an intern. Sara, said it was all in the life of a CSI, which made Laura wonder if she did really want a full time job.  
  
After not eating for over 24 hours, her first destination once inside her 5- room apartment was the kitchen to make a packet of Ramen.  
  
She put the two cups of water in a pan on the stove to boil, before going into her bedroom and closing the door to rest.  
  
As she was shutting the door, Laura felt a sharp pain in her side. It was enough to make her slump over, leaning against the recently closed door.  
  
As far as she could guess, it felt like the pain was coming from her abdominal area. She couldn't even be sure of anything because the blinding pain was making it hard to think strait.  
  
Tears began to form the corners of her eyes and she smelled the water on the stove beginning to burn.  
  
She finally passed out from the pain.  
  
***************************************************** Woken by the sound of the phone ringing, Laura instantly remembered why she had fallen asleep.  
  
She groped around until her hand rested on the cordless and she brought it up to her ear after pressing the on button.  
  
She weakly gasped, "Stewart", knowing full well who it was.  
  
"Laura where are you?" Grissom practically yelled, "Your two hours late for your shift! Is something wrong?"  
  
"Gil, I can't come in for work today. Something is wrong and I don't know what. Please hurry. Las Vegas area code." She said before dropping the phone to the ground and passing out again.  
  
****************************************************  
  
Grissom turned to the rest of the staff, excluding Greg, who was working on backed up DNA.  
  
"She isn't ok. And she needs help."  
  
Sara looked nervous. Laura and Sara had become close friends and Laura had confided in Sara about her crush on Greg just as Sara confided in Laura of her liking of Grissom.  
  
"What exactly did she say? Her precise words." Sara asked.  
  
Grissom looked softly upon her, sensing her panic, "She said, she doesn't know what's wrong, to hurry and one thing I can't figure out. She said 'Las Vegas area code."  
  
Catherine piped up, equally worried for the person, who had become a sort of other Aunt, besides Sara, to Lindsey, That's 272, but I don't know why it matters."  
  
A look passed between every person. Ask Greg.  
  
Almost everyone in the office suspected chemistry between Laura and Greg, and not just the kind you learn in school. Maybe it was the way the spent a lot of time together or maybe it was the rumor that they were dating, but the presence was still there.  
  
Soon, a herd of people was walking down to the DNA lab. As they arrived and Greg gaped, Grissom explained what was going on.  
  
"-And so we need you to tell us what the number 272 means."  
  
Greg answered, almost a little too quickly, "That's her apartment number at Saturn Arms. (A/N: Sound familiar?) Why?"  
  
"She might be in trouble." Grissom replied blatantly, "I'm going to go find her ok? Everyone just keep working and I'll call Catherine on her cell and she can tell you everything I say." and Grissom pulled his keys out of his pocket and walked out of the door, leaving everyone else to quietly console Greg. 


	2. Hospital visits

Sorry about the long update time. I haven't been writing much. I didn't want you to have to wait any longer to find out what will happen. And I have a new obsession with a couple characters, and because Laura is based a lot off of me, like Laura is my first name, so hopefully I portray her right in my eyes. Here is what happens. Please read and review.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Her eyes fluttering open, Laura was awoken by the strong scent of disinfectant and a slight twinge of pain that was still in her side. She was laying on her right side and Greg sat in the chair next to her bed, fidgeting nervously.  
  
"Greg," Laura whispered, reaching a hand to rest on one of his, "Are you ok?"  
  
Greg gaped at her and with wide eyes, "Why are you asking if I'm ok, you're the one who had surgery. Whoops, shouldn't have said that."  
  
Suddenly alert, she tried turning on her back until she almost cried out from the pain.  
  
"Greg, tell me what you mean by I had surgery. Tell me what happened, now." She ordered. But because she was the intern, he was her superior, and didn't say a thing.  
  
"I was told by. someone, that I wasn't supposed to tell you anything, so I won't." he said, turning toward the door, and away from her, as if waiting for someone.  
  
Again, Laura reached out her hand to Greg's, tightly holding on to it. Was it Grissom that told you that because if it was-"  
  
The entering of Grissom and her doctor, as well as Sara carrying two cups of coffee, cut off her words. When Laura saw Grissom's eyes flash to their hands together, she pulled her arm away so quickly that it caused more pain to her side.  
  
Before words could come to his lips, Sara shot a glance at their boss, then walked over to hand one of the cups of coffee to Greg.  
  
Laura began bombarding the doctor with questions like, How did I get here, and What was wrong, as well as What surgery happened, which caused another glace being shot, this time from both Grissom and Sara, directed towards Greg.  
  
The doctor explained in Laymen's terms, that she had had severe bruising around her abdomen, and that a blood vessel had popped, so they had to go into surgery immediately to repair it. As for how she got here, the doctor pointed to Grissom, saying that he had brought her in, and that he could explain how he got her there if he wanted to.  
  
He also told her that she could go home after filling out some paper work, but that she had to stay in bed. Mentioning the pain still piercing her side, he handed her two pills of strong painkiller, and saying that it should completely knock out the pain, but that it may make her drowsy. He told her to press the call button to get a nurse if she needed anything else, then he left to make other calls on patients.  
  
Grissom was edging towards the door, trying to get out before he was asked how she had gotten there. He didn't want to be labeled a hero, because he wasn't. He just helped a coworker who was in need, nothing more.  
  
Just as he was reaching for the door handle, Laura's voice split trough the heavy silence,  
  
"Freeze, Mr. Grissom. I have the right to know how I got here, and you had better tell me."  
  
~*~**~*~*~*~  
  
Oh, a cliffhanger, but not much of one. So sorry I haven't updated in forever. Please forgive me. And the bruises will be explained soon, they do have a point. Please read and review. 


	3. Explinations and Help

Okay, I know it has been literally forever since I've done anything with this fic so I thought I had better get my move on. I recently took one of my really long car trips and had the time to start writing again. I'm going to try to work things out with the time gap so that everything is synced up with the show currently. I've been putting this off because I couldn't figure out how to keep going. I honestly don't have an ending in mind right now, but I have answers and ideas for the future. I will keep writing however long I feel like it honestly. Okay on with it now.

Grissom hastily mumbled a concise explanation before the doctor reappeared. He told her that although the operation went well, she was going to be on bed rest for the next month or so.

"Your colleagues informed me that you live alone. Is there anyone who could come to stay with you for a while? A sister or close friend perhaps?"

Laura laughed, "Why would I need someone to stay with me. It's not like I'm going to be dead."

"But Laura, you're going to need someone to bring you things and help get you around. We just want to make sure you stay safe and get healthy soon." Sara gently interjected. She turned to the doctor, "Don't worry about it we'll find someone for her."

The doctor nodded and let, saying as soon as everything was worked out, that they could ring the nurse to bring them the paperwork and Laura's pain medication for the surgery.

After the doctor had gone again Laura started analyzing the situation, as she was prone to do. She didn't go the intolerable extent of talking only to herself, but it still eased her mind to her things out loud. "I don't have anyone here in Vegas. And no one anywhere who would want to or be able to come take care of me."

"What are we, chopped liver?" Greg replied in his original mock surprise that made Laura's face break into a wide smile, "We can take care of you."

"Who? You guys have that huge high-profile case. The casino owner. You shouldn't even be here now. Seriously, all of you should get back to the case, back to the lab."

Greg turned, desperate to help, turned his face to Girssom and Sara, who were still standing at a distance, close to the door. "I'm not doing much on the case Grissom. And if there is anything you need me to do, you can borrow Nick or Warrick from Cath right?"

His look was so desperate that Grissom nodded in spite of himself. "Sure, no problem. But Laura is right, we should be getting back to the case. According to the info from Catherine we are going to be a big one.

Sara followed him out before quickly walking over to Laura, "Whenever you need some girl talk and time away from this goofball, just give me a page and I'll be over with whatever you need."

"Thanks Sara. Now go, seriously." Laura said with a final smile, shooing her friend out the door.

Seeing the blonde's eyelids start to look heavy Greg stood up. "Get some sleep Laura, you're going to need it with the Greg-meister bunking at your place." He flashed her his goofy smile. "I'll finish up your paperwork."

As Greg opened the door to get the papers to get Laura released from the hospital, he wondered if living together would help or hurt the relationship blooming between the two. He wished with all his heart it would be the former.

I want to give a warning now. I am most sertainly not a medical expert. Hah, anything but. But I am trying to get everything as right as possible. I hope you liked this and I'm going to try to update sooner now!

And please, please, please review this if you've read it. You have no idea how much any sort of response means to me. Thanks again!


	4. A Lunch Date and a Visit

A/N: Okay, now that it's summer I promise all of you I'm going to update more often. I'm planning on keeping up with the new episodes once the new season starts, and as you'll see, I'm going to try and tie in as much of the show as I can while still keeping the story. Please review if you read. I know from experience how hard it is to actually respond to a fic, but as a writer I can tell you it makes such a difference to hear feedback and hear what people think.

And because I'm awesome, I'm going to tell each of you how much I love you.

Jenn: Thanks so much! That's a great complement. I hope you enjoy the update.

Destiny Dreamer2: I like Greg too!

Vanessa: Your wish is my command!

Kalena: thanks for your review. It helped inspire me to write their lunch scene.

Amy: Aww. Thank you so much. I actually did some research on the condition you mentioned and it doesn't seem quite right for what I'm thinking of. If my lack of medical knowledge makes you not want to read, I'm very sorry.

CatherineLouise: I was feeling the same way. I certainly don't want you to be tired after reading my fic! I'm trying to slow things down more. Thanks. : )

HyperSquishy: Tada!

Grace: Thanks and as you can see, it's fixed.

Amellia Elizabeth: Done, done, and done.

csifan1: you're a smart one, you are. But I couldn't make it that easy for them.

**And if anyone's interested, I'm casually looking for a beta who could proofread chapters for me and give input, since I suck at doing it myself. Email me if you're interested.**

ETA: I apologize for the odd quote breaks, but it's late for me and I'm battling with and my internet, so it's gonna have to do for now. Sorry. The quotes are meaningless to the story btw. Don't read into them.

**(A/N Break)**

Laura woke slowly, turning over and trying to resist the light peeking through her closed blinds. Greg had been staying in her spare bedroom for two weeks now and everyone swore she was recuperating twice as fast with his care. Her doctor had agreed and told her that she could walk around for a couple hours a day and to just take it easy instead of being confined to bed.

It was getting increasingly difficult not to acknowledge the growing attraction between her and Greg, and it seemed their senses were over elevated because of living together in such a small space. And she couldn't help but melt when she saw him do sweet, little things for her, like making her dinner before he was called in to work, or watching the romantic comedies that she loved. And he never crossed any lines, even the ones she wished he would.

Laura gave up her losing battle to the coming morning and opened her eyes. She saw a steaming mug of tea on her nightstand with a post-it stuck to the side of it that read,

_I was called into the lab early this morning to pick up the slack. I'll try to make it home sometime afternoon._

_P.S. It's your favorite : )_

She gingerly picked up the mug and took a sip of Honey Vanilla Chamomile, her absolute favorite kind of tea. And she decided she needed someone to talk to.

**(You never know what you're looking for until it comes up and whacks you in the nose)**

Laura had appreciated the friendship she had with Sara since her first day, when Sara had come to welcome her to the lab. She was the first, besides Greg, to make her feel like she was wanted there for her for her knowledge, not just the fact that she knew how to use a microscope.

The blonde gave a huge smile as Sara made her way through the tables to the one where she was sitting.

"Hey Sara," she said as she stood to greet her with a hug. "Thanks for coming to meet me. I was feeling a bit of cabin fever sitting up there alone. I hope I didn't pull you away from anything."

"Not at all," Sara said with a smile. "After Greg came in we had a break in the case. Grissom had him do some of the grunt work and told me I could go."

"How is Grissom, by the way?" said Laura teasingly. Sara and Grissom seemed like they could never get passed that invisible mark, the one that separates them from being boss and worker to being anything more than that.

"He says hi, and I'm sure he's fine, although I haven't been having very many chances to talk to him lately. I've been sort of busy since Nick and his, thing."

Laura nodded as the waitress set down their food and she picked up her fork, "I was thinking about calling him to come over for a cup of coffee. I figure he could use someone to talk to."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

**(Of all the things wrong in my life, you might just be the only right one)**

Greg sighed heavily. Filling out paperwork just didn't have the same thrill to it as racing the clock or give you the rush of knowing you put a bad guy behind bars. This was the dark side of being a CSI. No wait, not dark, because that would imply something remotely exciting. No, this was the boring side, reserved mostly for the lowest tier workers, like him.

Greg had to keep reminding himself that once he finished his report, he could go back to check on Laura. He really didn't mind the guy's comments anymore. Warrick was the worst offender, asking constantly if Greg had made is move yet. He laughed it off every time, but it hurt because it was hard for him to comprehend living with a girl as beautiful as her. He always felt guilty because of the surgery, but it was still achingly hard for him not to reach over to her during one of their movie marathons and kiss her senseless.

It was worse than before now, because she wasn't just confined to her bed or the couch. And with only one bathroom in the apartment, the awkward encounters were inevitable. And Laura had that lovable, yet uncomfortable habit of staying in her pajamas most of the day, and they weren't very conservative ones either. He joked that she was such a tease to him and they always got a good laugh out of it, but Greg knew he wasn't really joking. It was another thing that made her irresistible to him.

Greg pushed those thoughts from his head and settled in on his work.

**(Truth doesn't hurt, it just takes time)**

There was a slight knocking at the door and Laura sprang up to answer it. She was dressed in her favorite Star Wars pajama pants and a tank top, and she hoped it was okay. She knew how Greg joked that she could be a tease to him, but it really wasn't her intent. Although it didn't hurt to hear.

**One week ago. 9:30 AM**

"And Grissom yelled for someone to get the fire extinguisher so I ran and got the first one I saw in the back of someone's truck. Then Hedgy called to say the box we had found under the barn had been rigged with explosives, so the one Nick was in probably was too. So Grissom got a huge dump truck to dump tons of dirt on Nick as we all pulled him out. And then they loaded him up into the ambulance and Cath and Warrick rode with him and the rest of us drove in the trucks. That's when I called you." Greg was almost as breathless as he was that night two days ago.

"Wow," Laura breathed. It was hard to think of strong tough Nick being down there for so long, not knowing if anyone even knew he was down there and counting down the minutes he had left of air. "So he's okay and all?"

Greg nodded, "He was lucky he didn't go into anaphylactic shock from the ants. Apparently he got topical ointment for the bites, and he's expected to make a full recovery. Grissom did want him to go to some sessions of therapy before he comes back to work though."

**End flashback**

Laura swung the door open to see Nick standing there, ever the cowboy with boots and a belt buckle the size of Texas.

"Hey Nick. How ya doing," Laura asked with a smile. He was always nice to her, and always so charming. Whenever he would come into the lab Laura would try to get him to talk more because she loved hearing Southern accents. "Come on in."

"I'm fine. It's good to see you walking around after the surgery. I heard the rumor that the doctor took you off of bed rest. You're looking pretty good."

Laura walked over to her burbling coffee maker, "Thanks. You do too. Especially after, you know, what happened. Milk or sugar?"

"Laura, don't bother feeling uncomfortable talking about what happened. I've come to terms with it. And nothing, black's fine," Nick said simply.

She was taken slightly aback at his easy reaction to what had happened to him. Usually there's some fallout when someone has a traumatizing experience. Laura defiantly knew that for sure.

Sitting down, Laura handed a mug to Nick. "So do you want to talk about it? I'm all ears for whatever you want to talk about."

"To be honest, I came mostly for the coffee," Nick laughed, "which, by the way, is really great."

She smiled and nodded, "Greg's a coffee whore, if you'll excuse my language. I've been totally ruined. He almost had a fit when all I had was instant Folgers in my cupboard and that I hadn't used my coffee maker since moving to Vegas. I can never go back to how I used to be."

"It's good to see Greg is taking care of you here."

**(A/N Break)**

A/N: So…. how'd I do? I'm hoping this chapter was a little better since I've been saving up for a long time. I've been trying to work out storylines in my head and I think I have the one I want to go with. Please, for the love of Greg, Review! And I swear I'll update more often now that I have plenty of free time.


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